Press

(Oct. 22, 2014) Ben Sollee took the stage at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16 at the EKU Center for the Arts.

The show had an unorthodox set up, as the audience sat directly on the stage facing the stands, with Sollee and Jordon Ellis performing on a platform directly in front of the audience, at the end of the stage... (click through to The Eastern Progress)

(Oct. 1, 2014) One of the most talented up-and-coming artists around, Thomas Jack is known for capturing beautifully warm vibes with his music. He continues to impress with his latest remix, in which he puts a brilliant twist on Ben Sollee's Letting Go. For this remix, the Australian producer says he drew inspiration from the beach in Tulum, channeling the sounds of the shore throughout the lush track. The final product is a beautiful, perfectly paced house gem with a deep and ethereal sound... (click through to LessThan3)

(Aug. 21, 2014) After a pair of performances showcasing up-and-coming national acts, WUKY-FM's summer-long Phoenix Fridays series brings it all back home with a pack of notables from our own backyard.

Headlining will be Ben Sollee, whose visibility as a performer over the past decade — from his work with Abigail Washburn in the Sparrow Quartet to gigging with Louisville's My Morning Jacket at Bonnaroo — more than qualifies him as national act as well as a local favorite... (click through to the Lexington Herald Leader)

(April 18, 2014) Musicians often claim they are "giving themselves" to their listeners, but it's rarely as true as on Ben Sollee's fourth album, Half-Made Man, a revealing, deeply moving album that explores a man trying to figure himself out, just as we all are. Known for his thrilling cello-playing that incorporates new techniques to create a unique mix of folk, bluegrass, jazz and R&B, Sollee possesses rough-smooth-smokey vocal stylings and a knack for intricate arrangements that has brought about comparisons to Sufjan Stevens... (click through to the Carolina Theatre)

(Oct. 23, 2013) Cellist and singer-songwriter Ben Sollee performs on this episode of Mountain Stage, recorded live at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, W.Va. A classically trained musician with a deep technical command, Sollee has earned wide acclaim for incorporating elements of folk, bluegrass and R&B into his singular musical style... (click through to NPR)

(Nov. 5, 2012) Ben Sollee is not only an unconventional cellist, but also an unconventional human being. Recently, he took his cello, walked up the long steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the mall in D.C. (along with the Mason Jar Music film crew) and began to perform. It's not legal to do that, but like I said, Ben Sollee — the guy who bikes his cello across the country — is not a follower... (click through to NPR)

(Sept. 26, 2012) The cello tends to be relegated to chamber music and orchestral pieces, but Ben Sollee uses it to craft delightful folk- and pop-tinged tunes. On top of his full-time music career, Sollee also champions environmental sustainability, often touring by bicycle and campaigning against mountaintop removal coal mining in his home state of Kentucky.

He talked to Diversions editor Allison Hussey about his innovative new idea in his latest round of touring and his newest record, Half Made Man... (click through for article)

(September 20, 2012) Kentucky-native, Ben Sollee is a cellist, singer-songwriter and composer known for his genre-bending songwriting and innovative playing style. Fusing folk, bluegrass, jazz and R&B elements, Sollee’s music incorporates unusual cello techniques, as well as banjo guitar, mandolin and percussion... (click through to The St. Augustine Record)

(September 17, 2012) A classically-trained cellist, an in-demand Americana accompanist, a soulful singing solo artist, a ballet score composer, and a bike-riding environmentalist – these are accurate ways to describe the multi-talented Ben Sollee. The Kentucky native’s young career has been notable for its artistic diversity and creative productivity. This year alone he has put out a live album (Live at the Grocery on Home), had two ballet scores produced (Dangerous Liaisons and Sansei), biked to his show at the Newport Folk Festival, and now his latest studio album, Half-Made Man is set for release on September 25th... (click through to American Songwriter)

(Aug. 26, 2012) Born and raised in Kentucky, Ben Sollee's songs and cello playing mix Appalachian, R&B and classical stylings. Just look to his collaborations with everyone from My Morning Jacket's Jim James to banjo master Bela Fleck to get an idea "open" approach to the cello. Between touring by bicycle and raising awareness about mountain top removal strip mining in Appalachia, Ben enjoys time home in Lexington, KY with his wife Caitlin and son Oliver... (click through to TreeHugger)

(Sept. 30, 2011) Ben Sollee uses his voice and cello to tells stories with an awareness-raising bent while bridging connections to his community and fans. On October 27th, Sollee will embark on his fourth "Ditch the Van" bicycle tour to make those connections broader... (click through for Glide Magazine)

(Sept. 11, 2012) Ben Sollee is a classically trained cellist whose forays into Americana have led him to work with Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck and Daniel Martin Moore. But over time, Sollee has drifted every further into sweetly anthemic rock: His forthcoming album, Half Made Man positively soars, with cellos used to feed the drama and fuel Sollee's ruminations on the pursuit of meaning in modern life... (click through to NPR)

(Aug. 2, 2012) Ben Sollee is an interesting dude. Praised by fellow musical innovators such as Bela Fleck who makes claim that, "Ben Sollee is up to his neck in creativity as his bada - new recording attests," it's fair to say that he's on the right path... (click through to Seacoastonline)

(July 11, 2011) Ben Sollee and his bandmates arrived at the NPR Music offices after a particularly frustrating couple of days on the road. Their van broke down, forcing them to get towed to their next gig in Burlington, Vt. Then, after a long day of repairs and a 10 hour drive to Washington, D.C., it was only logical that Sollee would break the tip off his bow minutes before his Tiny Desk Concert performance... (click through to NPR)

(Aug. 6, 2010) Cellist Ben Sollee has made two previous appearances on Mountain Stage as a member of Abigail Washburn and Sparrow Quartet (along with Bela Fleck and Casey Driessen). He returns to play songs from his debut solo recording, Learning to Bend... (click through to NPR)

(Aug. 1, 2010) It's no surprise that two Kentucky singer-songwriters would come together to bond over their love of mountain life. But the first album-length collaboration by cellistBen Sollee and guitarist/banjo player Daniel Martin Moore, Dear Companion, is about little else... (click through to NPR)

(May 20, 2010) Kentucky boys Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore came together to sing the praises of Appalachia on their new album, Dear Companion. The project began when Sollee and Moore bonded over their mutual love for the mountains in their home state — and, more to the point, shared a desire to end the practice of mountaintop-removal coal mining... (click through to NPR)